Hunter Life
by pk-fweeze
Summary: Leaving behind her village and the status of her family name, Rayen Praeses decides to follow her dreams: To become a hunter. At first Rayen thought it'd be a simple task because she only had to worry about herself, that was, until she met a certain group during the first exam. [Current part: Hunter Exam Arc] (A/N: Updates are mostly spontaneous!)
1. Prologue : Farewell x To x You!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter, just my ocs! Thanks for reading! ૮( ᵒ̌ૢ௰ᵒ̌ૢ )ა**

* * *

 **"Monstrous animals, rare species...**

 **Buried riches, hidden treasures...**

 **Worlds of demons, unexplored lands...**

 **The word "unknown" seems magic, and some men are attracted to this force...**

 **These men are called Hunters!"**

* * *

Footsteps echoed through a wide corridor as men frantically ran back and forth in a mansion's estate. A few shouts were exchanged between the gaggle, then all En that was being emitted in the estate increased to a two mile radius.

Little did they know, the person who they were looking for was right under their noses.

In the farthest corner of the mansion's roof, a rather tall dame loomed in rafters, covered in dust and spiderwebs. She kept her breathing low, slowing down the beating of her heart. A triumphant smile was plastered on her face - in an ironic way, she was glad her parents had forced her practice In for many years.

Aiming a conjured crossbow in her arms at a passing guard, she fired a single dart directly on the target: exactly three centimeters below the ear. Since the shot was only but a mere thirty yards away, it was ultimately an easy task that even a child could pull it off!

The man fell to the ground without a sound, signaling the girl to quickly move on towards her escape. She leaped down from the rafter, making a dash for the front doors. Extra caution needed to be taken since a few of the hired guards could use Gyo, which could make her aura visible.

Various hues of green whipped past her in a blur as she descended from her abode and into a flourish garden. The garden was filled with towering hedges and pillars of ivory sculptures wrapped in vines. In the corner of her eye, she spotted a hammock attached to two trees that grew overhead.

 _Good, good! Just a few more steps and she should run into-_

"Rayen?" a jovial voice questioned the dame as she slid to a stop, rousing up a cloud of dirt.

Rayen dusted her blouse then bowed to her grandmother, whom still had the evidence of a nap on her wrinkled face. She must have fallen asleep in the garden, yet again...

"Excuse me, Nana!" she quickly spoke, pulling a lock of red hair out of her face, "I was just looking for you. Remember what we talked about earlier?"

"Erm... Ah, yes! You're leaving now, right?" Nana asked, letting out a small thoughtful sigh.

"I remember when I first took my Hunter exam... I was an ambitious lady like yourself, hah!" the old woman cackled. "I know you're in a hurry, so here are the directions to where the next boat will be stopping by to pick up all those who are interested in taking the exam."

"I'm going to miss you and ol' Baba..." Rayen said as she grabbed the small parchment offered from her grandmother's hands. With a quick embrace from the old woman, the redhead nodded and turned on her heels.

Suddenly, Rayen felt a familiar tug on the back of her hair. She turned to see Nana with a serious expression.

"One final thing, Rayen," Nana's voice became low as she pointed a crooked finger at her granddaughter's face, "Remember to _only_ use Nen in dire situations. Most people don't know about this technique since it's kept a secret, and those who do use Nen can be dangerous. Never let other Nen users discover your abilities because they'll find your weak points and corner you like a mouse!"

Rayen nodded once more in affirmation. Especially if she was being introduced to more of the world very soon, it'd probably be more helpful to not flaunt every strength - she preferred to live a long life!

Nana's face returned to a gentle smile, watching as the tall redhead speed off into the forest beyond the garden walls, and onwards to a new beginning.

Running as fast as her legs could carry her, Rayen abruptly stopped when she saw the coast of the ocean below the cliffside she had been following. Her momentum from speeding nearly caused her to trip over her own feet - she made a quick mental note to train herself to better her drifting.

She glanced at a few docks boarding. Quickly pulling out the parchment given to her, she read over the directions once more for affirmation:

 _"Five miles south from here is a coast with a slummy seaport. The ship from Whale Island is the vessel you need to board before it leaves at noon."_

At noon, huh? Rayen frowned and looked down. Judging by where her shadow leaned away from the sun, it should be almost... **_Noon!?_**

"Dammit! I'm not getting this far just to miss that boat!" Rayen growled.

Backing up, the redhead dug her heels into the rocky ground as she prepared to take a faster path: directly down the cliffside.

She flung her body to tree down below, gripping her hands around a rough branch full of sharp pine needles. From there, she swung herself through the batch of trees until she dropped forward, landing in front of the boarding docks.

 _"Last calls for the examinees!"_ A baritone voice called out from nearby ship about a two stations away. Crew members began to scramble about, rushing up supplies that would be needed for the upcoming trip.

Rayen grinned. Right on time, and not a sweat is yet to be broken!

The moment she stepped proudly aboard the ship, she felt eyes glaring at her all around. There was mainly a crowd of bulky looking men, each more intimidating than the other.

Rayen put on her friendliest smile as she attempted to break a bit of the thick tension in the air.

"Hello! Nice to meet you all! I'm Rayen and I'm going to be a Hunter!"

She heard few scoffs and mutters exchange through the crowd, but a cheerful voice piped up behind her.

"Hi! I'm Gon!" Rayen turned to see a short boy with spiky black hair. His round eyes gazed up at her, sparked with interest.

At first, it confused Rayen when she saw Gon. Were children usually allowed to take the Hunter exam? She didn't know - being cooped up in a small village for half her life left her oblivious about other parts of the world.

"I'm gonna be a super Hunter, just like my dad!" Gon boasted, puffing up his chest.

"Impressive! It's nice to meet you, Gon," Rayen said, giving him a stiff curtsy out of reflex. Gon looked at her curiously before grinning from ear to ear.

"Wow! That's a cool greeting!" he giggled and then held out his hand. "This is how I sometimes greet new people."

Rayen stared at his hand, reluctant about what to do. "Uh...?"

"Oh, sorry!" Gon grabbed her hand, shaking it up and down. "See! That's how you do it!"

Rayen formed a tiny 'o' with her mouth and nodded. "I see now! Interesting!"

From the crowd of men, a stark voice burst into grating laughter.

"What a couple of jokes!" a bulky man sitting on the floor bantered, pointing at Gon and Rayen.

The two glanced over at the man, not paying him too much attention until he started rambling on.

"Just on this boat, we're a tenth of the people hoping to become Hunters. Every year, from everywhere around the world, thousands of men, each more skilled than the other, will come to take the exams!" he crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Lot's of people, but few actually become Hunters... It's easier said than done!"

Rayen raised her eyebrows. This information didn't exactly put a positive outlook for what was to come, and it ment these exams were going to be more of a challenge than she originally thought. She felt a strong wave of energy wash over - she absolutely loved her challenges.

Peering down at Gon, she noticed that he wasn't fazed either. In fact, he seemed to be radiating with surplus the amount of energy.


	2. Chapter 1 : Ship x Shape!

_**"Hunter: A term designating people who are ready to risk their lives to find rare and precious objects. Only people who pass the severe exam can obtain this title. Some say that only one out of a thousand pass."**_

* * *

 _Chapter 1 : Ship x Shape!_

In mere moments after the ship carrying the group of anticipated examinees departed, a heavy wave of rain began to beat down on the ocean surface. Walls of water hit against the hull of the ship, knocking all the passengers to and fro. Of course some sea sickness was to be expected, but Rayen sat with furrowed brows, observing most of the people on board who were more than green behind the gills. Some appeared closer to death than her great-grandmother! Even the man who had jeered at her earlier was sweating profusely, gripping tightly against a barrel of supplies to support himself.

Ironically enough, the redheaded dame had never been on a ship, much less seen the ocean, yet here she was relaxing in the cargo room with ease.

From the other side of the ship, Rayen spotted two others who seemed to have no problem with the current storm.

One was a lanky man with black hair and circular sunglasses. He wore a blue suit and tie, something a little too formal for an occasion like this. He held a risqué magazine in his hands, focused as if he was looking at quality reading material.

The other was an androgynous teen, sporting shoulder length blonde hair and traditional garments similar to what the locals back at Rayen's hometown would wear. He slept peacefully on a hammock, letting the momentum of the boat rock him back and forth.

Gon suddenly ran past Rayen, carrying a basket full of miscellaneous herbs in his arms. The boy then picked out a green plant, telling one of the ill men to ingest it in order to ease their seasickness.

Rayen inwardly smiled. _He seems like a really nice kid... I just wonder how long it's going to be before he calls it quits?_

Then again, he seemed to be more than what he was letting off, she just couldn't put her finger on what it was...

The rain died out after awhile, so Rayen followed a few crew members and the captain to the top deck. She spotted Gon in front of the ship, sniffing the crisp ocean air as a disapproving look etched over his features.

"The worst is still yet to come..." he commented, staring off into the distance.

Rayen blinked in confusion. She didn't catch any whiffs of another storm, unless...

She halted her use of In momentarily, letting some of her aura travel to her eyes. Sure enough with the use of Gyo, Rayen was able to see another incoming of rain, just a little over two hours away. Nature had pulled a cruel trick, putting up a tranquil facade for people to aquire a false hope.

The girl then glanced over at Gon. Interestingly enough, he wasn't using any type of Nen. Actually, he hasn't even had his aura nodes opened...

Rayen felt safe to assume that he must be talented in odd ways, not a threat at all.

She hopped onto the higher platform where Gon stood and pointed northeastern. "The storm is bound from that way... At least, that's where I see a huge buildup of thunderheads."

Gon gave a single nod. "Yep! That's right... Wait a second, you can see that far!?"

"Kinda. If you squint really hard, you might be able to see it," she said with a coy grin.

"Really?!" he asked, excitedly leaning a little too close off the railings of the ship.

The sudden voice of the ship's captain snagged the attention of Rayen and Gon.

"Hoy, boyo and Red! What's the matter? Are ye seasick?" the portly man questioned as he took a swig of rum from his flask.

"There's going to be another storm, even bigger than the last!" Gon informed.

The captain scratched at his white beard, looking up to where the boy and dame stood. "Hmm, what makes ye say that, boyo?"

"A harsh wind is blowing and the seagulls are telling me to be careful," Gon remarked.

The old man's brows raised in amazement, but his expression faltered with reminiscence at the boy. Finally, he turned to Rayen and spoke, "Red, do me a favor and gather the rest of the examinees who are plannin' to stay through the second storm. I want to ask this boyo a few questions."

"Yes sir." Rayen agreed without question, leaving Gon behind as she descended back into the cargo room.

—

As soon as the other examinees learned of another storm to come, most became frantic. It was quite the hectic scene to observe as grown men bawled like children, filing off the ship by the dozen on rescue boats.

Then there was only four.

Gon, Rayen, and the two other survivors stood in front of the sea captain.

"So ye are the last ones?" the old man asked. "What are ye names?"

The same man from earlier with circular sunglasses and a suit announced his name first, which was Leorio.

Likewise, the blonde teen that Rayen had seen beforehand quietly disclosed his name as Kurapika.

Rayen introduced herself, then Gon. Out of the four, he was the most enthusiastic with meeting the others.

"So why do ye want to be Hunters?" the captain casually inquired.

"Uhh... Excuse me? I don't think you're an examiner," Leorio loudly pointed out.

 _"Just answer the question!"_

 _ **"Why the hell should we answer you!?"**_

Gon raised his hand in the air. "Ooh! I want to know what my dad's work is like!" he belted out.

Leorio frowned down at Gon. "Not so fast, brat. Who told you to answer? Where's your team spirit?"

"Don't call him a brat! He's just giving his reasons!" Rayen barked towards Leorio, causing him to slightly jump up in fear. He hid behind Kurapika, muttering the words 'scary woman' under his breath. "As for me, I want to explore and find new worlds," she said to the captain.

"Hmm... I agree with that guy..." Kurapika suddenly said. "I'd prefer to not answer your questions rather than to lie."

"That guy!?" Leorio sputtered. "How old are you? Don't you have any respect for your elders!?"

The blonde ignored Leorio's complaints, continuing his excuse. "Speaking honestly in front of the people who I've just met, I feel that I'm unable to answer this personal question."

The captain narrowed his eyes. "Well, I see... In that case, I want ye to get off my ship as soon as possible." Leorio and Kurapika whipped their gaze at the old man. "Don't ye understand what's goin' on yet? The exam has already started!"

The entire room became intensely silent, with only the faint whispering of gales hitting against the ship to be heard.

The captain pulled out a wooden pipe from his coat and put it to his mouth.

"Ye can't ignore the fact that there are as many applications as there are stars in the sky - and because of the lack of time and space, it's impossible to judge everyone... That's why there's men like me to diminish the number of applicants. Then, except for ye four, the rest of the passengers have registered as failures by the Grand Jury. Even if they get to the place where exams are held, the door will stay closed on 'em. The decision of whether or not ye will be taken to the exams belongs to me, so put away your mistrust and answer my question."

Kurapika pursed his lips, still appearing to be mentally debating with himself.

"I... I am the sole survivor of the Kurata clan," he slowly began. "Four years ago, _all of my relatives were killed by thieves._ The reason I want to become a Hunter is so that I can capture the Genei Ryodan, otherwise known as the Phantom Troupe."

The captain pulled the pipe away from his mouth, only to take a few more chugs from his flask. "So ye are becomin' a Blacklist Hunter... And after the Genei Ryodan as well? Even the best Hunters would think twice about goin' after them. Surely ye are chasin' after death!"

"I do not fear death, I only fear that my anger never leaves," Kurapika nonchalantly said.

"...So basically you just want revenge for your family and you need to become a Hunter to do so?" Leorio questioned, scratching the back of his head.

The blonde rolled his eyes.

"Leorio, that is the stupidest question I have ever been asked. I need access to certain places, information, and displacement - all those details that your little brain might have missed."

Leorio ground his teeth, glaring daggers towards Kurapika. Before the tall man could sharply ask the other what he was insinuating, the captain repeated his question to Leorio.

"Well what about ye, Leorio?"

" _ **MONEY!**_ " Leorio's entire demeanor changed as he proudly held his hands in the air like a stage performer. "With money, we can buy anything! A great house, classy cars, the best alcohol—"

"—Unfortunately, manners can't be bought, Leorio," Kurapika interrupted.

Leorio narrowed his eyes.

" _That's the third time..._ " he hissed in a threatening voice, "Let's go up to the top deck and spill the last of the Kurata blood, or whatever..."

With that said, he turned and walked out of the captain's quarters.

"Take that back, Leorio!" Kurapika growled, running after the other man.

Gon and Rayen looked at each other as the two left the room.

"Eh?! I wasn't done yet! Don't ye want to go and take the exam!?" the captain yelled.

"Let them fight..." the boy said with a nostalgic expression growing on his face. The captain paused, curiously looking over at Gon. "My Aunt Mito used to say: 'If you want to know someone, start by knowing what makes them mad!' They both have their reasons to fight, so it's just best to leave 'em to it!"

Rayen grinned with Gon's response. She was positive that the kid knew exactly what he was going on about, and that deemed him as someone incredible.

"You know for a kid, you possess quite a bit of useful knowledge!" she laughed, lightheartedly poking the boy on the ribs. He sheepishly smiled at the girl's praise.

Suddenly, one of the members of the crew entered the room, practically out of breath from running.

 _"S-Sir! The wind is blowing harder than anticipated!"_

Rayen watched at the captain wobbled to the upper deck with Gon trailing behind. She put a hand under her chin, mulling over a few thoughts.

She had originally planned to take the exam by herself, without the distraction of others. Most of her kin frowned upon being burdened with allies, weak and foolish they called it.

But it had been forever since she had an acquaintance, or friend for that matter. Not since...-

Frantic shouts from the crew echoed into the captain's quarters. Rayen's ears perked up, then her urge to look for the source of the noise reflexively kicked in.

She found herself on the top deck within a blink, witnessing as one of the injured crew members flew overboard. Leorio and Kurapika, who appeared to have been sparring, leaped after the sailor. They reached for his feet to grab, but they were a second too late.

That was, until Gon shot past the two, diving right off the ship. The boy took ahold of the crew member while Leorio and Kurapika struggled to keep him from falling completely off. They almost had the two castaways back on sturdy ground, but the ship suddenly swung a hard left. All four of the boys were inches away from the rushing currents. A flash of red hair was all the sea captain and the rest of the crew witnessed.

The injured sailor, Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon sat on the deck of the boat as a rather worried Rayen frowned at the group. The crew cheered, running up to pat each of the examinees on the back.

Gon rubbed the front of his face, wincing in slight pain. "Ow... I think I hit my nose..."

" _Are you crazy!?_ The ocean is wild, the currents are extremely strong, and you... Y-You... It's really dangerous, okay!?" Kurapika blurted at Gon, his words spilling like water.

Leorio lectured the boy as well, still shaking in adrenaline. "Yeah! If we hadn't caught your feet, you'd be over for sure!"

"But you caught me, right?" Gon pointed out with a grin. "Rayen helped too, didn't you?"

She smiled, holding her hand up with her index finger almost touching her thumb, "...Just a tiny bit!"

"That was you!? I thought the boat just tilted the other way!" Leorio joked.

Rayen's face fell. She narrowed her eyes and flicked the tall man on the forehead.

"Hey-Oww! That really hurt!" he said, scampering behind the unimpressed blonde once again. But suddenly Kurapika's eyes lit up in remembrance.

"Ah, forgive my rudeness... Leorio-san," Kurapika apologized, truly meaning his words.

"Well, I don't want something like this between us. Just call me Leorio, Kurapika!" Leorio said, shaking his head. "I should have taken back what I said in the first place!"

The captain of the ship bellowed a hardy laugh, catching the attention of the group of surviving examinees.

"Ahaha! Forgive me, but I'm just in a good mood today! I've decided to take ye to the nearest testing place!"

"But... What about your exam?" Gon asked.

"Forget about that, boyo!" the old man waved his hand dismissively, "Red, I would like ye, Blondie, and Babblemouth to relax the rest o' the trip. Boyo, would ye like to finish learnin' about how to steer the ship?"

"I would love to!" Gon exclaimed, jumping up and racing back towards the captain's quarters.


	3. Chapter 2 : Almost x There!

_**"Where the test to become a Hunter takes place changes every year. Those who know this place and guide candidates there are called Navigators. Without them, it is impossible to reach the testing place.**_

 _ **To reduce the number of applicants, traps are lain along the way that leads to the testing site, a path that is difficult to find."**_

* * *

 _Chapter 2: Almost to the Starting Line..._

The moment the boat stopped in the harbor of their destination, the four examinees hurried off and onto sturdy land. Hundreds of people crowded in the port, looking and asking around for their next directions. Leorio, Kurapika, and Rayen stood within the mix as the captain held a quiet conversation with Gon.

The girl gazed out, watching in amazement at the mass of people -there was just so many... Compared to the handful of residents back at her home, this was tenfold the amount. It almost made her nervous!

"There's so many people!" Leorio complained as he was bumped to the side by a tall passer-by. "Are they all going to Zaban?"

"Most of the people are here for the same reason we are, so probably..." Kurapika shrugged.

Rayen's eyes brighten up as she saw a crowd of people huddled around a large sign with a town map. "Hey, look! There's a map over there!" she pointed.

The three quickly pushed through the mass of people, trying to get a better look. It didn't take long for them to spot the next town, which was eastbound.

"Wait, guys!" Gon called from the back, suddenly jumping his way to the front of the crowd. "The captain said that we should head towards that mountain with the tree! He said that it was a shortcut!"

Leorio, Kurapika, and Rayen looked at each other, then over to said mountain, which was going towards the opposite direction.

"But that's the other way! We should just take the bus!" Leorio said as he shook his head in disagreement. "Maybe he accidentally pointed that way?"

"It doesn't matter, I'm going that way," Gon chirped, running off towards the mountain. "I'm sure there's a good reason for this!"

As the boy started to walk off, Rayen followed after.

"See you! That is, if you don't decide to come along with!" she waved at the other two, then dashed to catch up with Gon.

"...Rayen!? Alright, fine then! We don't need her, right Kurapika...?" Leorio turned to the blonde teen, only to see him walking off ahead as well. " _Kurapika!? You too!?_ "

"I'm going to stick with them!" Kurapika dismissed as he left Leorio, meeting with the others.

It was a good and silent five minutes as Gon, Rayen, and Kurapika strolled the path that led toward the mountain. But before anyone could get too used to the peace, booming footsteps grew in volume behind them. Leorio ran full speed towards the three, flailing his briefcase around with every step.

 ** _"Hey! Wait up for meeee! I missed you guys! Feeling's mutual, right? In that case, too bad for the bus, I'll accompany you guys!"_**

The quartet soon came across what appeared to be an abandoned village. Every house was boarded up with wooden planks, and countless glass bottles littered the main road that went through the area. But despite the appearance, there were actually many people hidden within the shadows.

"I don't like this place... There's nobody out here!" Leorio loudly whispered to the others.

"What do you mean? All the locals are looking at us..." Rayen frowned, hating the feeling of being watched.

"Yeah, there's lots of people here!" Gon agreed.

"Let's keep our guard up for now..." Kurapika murmured, cautiously watching every moment around the group.

"How do you know all these things!?" Leorio practically shouted, darting his eyes around.

"Don't you hear all the breathing? It's coming from everywhere..." Kurapika specified.

"Yeah! And the scraping of cloth, too! They're trying to hide!" Gon added.

Rayen hummed in agreement. "Oh! You can also hear their footsteps, which are pretty loud in my opinion! You can hear that, can't you?"

Leorio gave her an odd stare. He then cupped his hands beside his ears, trying to listen. "...Unfortunately, I'm a normal guy! I can't hear anything–"

"–Shhh!" Kurapika urged. He then pointed to a gathering of people who began to grow closer.

The villagers, which had more of a resemblance to cultists, surrounded the examinees. They wore loose robes, matted wigs that looked more like the end of a mop, and masks. Each individual villager had the same mask, all with an eerily vacant face.

 _"Very interesting..."_ an unknown voice crooned. Within the mix of intimidating villagers, an old woman holding a staff stepped out. She pointed out to the group, suddenly yelling out, _"THE EXCITED QUIZ OF TWO ANSWERS!_ " The villagers clapped a short round of applause.

Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Rayen looked at each other, completely puzzled.

"You're heading for the tree on the mountain, aren't you? But first you must succeed in getting out of this town... The other paths that could lead you are similar to labyrinths, in which many bloodthirsty monsters reign!" the elder said, narrowing her eyes. "So with that said, I will now ask you one question. You only have five seconds to consider your answer... If you fail, your mistake will disqualify you from taking this year's exam."

"So another test, then!" Kurapika concluded.

The old woman nodded. "You will answer with either one or two! Any other answer will deemed as invalid!"

Leorio suddenly blanched. "W-Wait a second! You mean there's only one question for three people!?" He looked at Kurapika and grimaced. "What if he answers wrong and I get eliminated?"

Kurapika rolled his eyes. "That's not very likely. The idea of you getting the question wrong is more realistic," he retorted.

Rayen snorted at the blonde teen's response. "Sorry, Leorio, but Kurapika's right!" she laughed.

"Nobody asked for your opinion, _old lady_!" Leorio growled.

" **EH!?** _FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT OLD, YOU IDIOT!_ " Rayen huffed, her face growing almost as red as her hair.

Contrariwise, all the color from Leorio's face drained in an instant the moment he caught Rayen's gaze.

"Hmm... Guys! If one of us guesses the right answer, then the rest will benefit as well!" Gon brought to attention. The other three paused, then nodded in agreement.

 _"Come on! Hurry up!"_ called a snide voice from behind. They then swiveled around to see different examinee, which was young man with an oddly shaped nose and a mocking smile.

"Well then! I guess I'll just go before you!" he shrugged, confidentially striding past the group. The man passed Gon, stopping for a moment, "Thanks for the advice, kid! I heard you back at the port!"

From beside her, Rayen could hear Leorio muttering insults under his breath. She couldn't blame him for getting overworked this time; what kind of low scum goes around eavesdropping on kids anyway?

But, letting that man go first could them a hint on what type of questions the elder might ask! Rayen exchanged glances between the three others, each of them appearing to have been thinking the same thing.

As the old woman inquired the examinees about who would go first, Gon and his group nodded as a approving gesture to let the other answer. With that now in mind, the elder turned to the young man.

"...Here is your question: Your mother and your girlfriend are being held captive by a demon," the old woman held up her index finger, "You can only save one! Choice one is your mother, and choice two is your girlfriend!"

Rayen pursed her lips together, unsure of either of the choices. Was there even an answer? Honestly, if it was up to her, she would make an attempt to save both... But that wasn't an option for this situation. What if they tried guessing what the old woman would want to hear?

In the corner of her eye, she watched as Kurapika was also in a deep thought, calculating every possibility.

At first the young man appeared to need some time to think, but a split second later, he answered without hesitation.

"I choose number one."

"Care to explain why?" the elderly woman asked, lifting an eyebrow with interest.

"A mother is unique, unlike a girlfriend!" he nonchalantly responded.

The elder did an about-face, looking towards the townsfolk. Whispers were exchanged back and forth, until the woman faced the examinees again.

"...Pass this way," she gestured to her side as the villagers parted to reveal a path.

As the man followed the path, he turned to give the other four examinees a triumphant sneer.

Leorio practically flew over to the old woman, yelling at the top of his lungs, "ARE YOU MOCKING US!? WHAT'S WITH THAT WEIRD QUIZ!?" he spat, flailing his arms in the air like a madman. "This game is messed up! Who's to say what's the right or wrong answer with that question!? I'm leaving – I'll just find a different route!"

He then turned, stomping off the other way.

"It's too late. If you leave now, you will be disqualified!" the old woman warned. "You must not have the soul of a Hunter..."

Kurapika suddenly grabbed the tall man by the arm before he could run off, his intelligent grey eyes glinting.

"Kurapika! Don't tell me that you're going to accept this quiz!"

"Wait, Leorio–" Kurapika tried to explain, but was immediately cut off by a screech from the elder.

" _–I don't want to hear anything else!_ From now on, any useless words will now be punishable by disqualification. Now answer this: choice one to take the quiz, or choice two to refuse it!"

The blonde didn't waste any time as he answered for the first choice, earning a glare from Leorio.

"Then here's your question... Your son and daughter have been kidnapped, and you can only save one. Which do you choose: choice one is your daughter, and choice two is your son!"

Kurapika took a quick glimpse at the other two; Gon had his arms crossed, apparently having a difficult time in choosing. Rayen, however, was staring back at him. It was obvious that she had something important to say, but couldn't.

In the redhead's mind, she was still unsure about her decision. Rayen was only going on whim, which was probably the worst thing to do in situation like this, and decided to keep her mouth shut. Maybe that was the correct response since there _couldn't_ be an actual answer! Boy, did she hope the others could figure something out...

She suddenly caught a faint whiff of copper. A strangled cry came from the path the other man took, putting her in high alert. Wasn't that supposed to have been the winning path? So then that would mean one thing...!

"...Five," the old woman abruptly announced, gripping tightly to her staff. The countdown had started, fueling Leorio's anger even more.

"Four..."

Leorio had suddenly plucked a wooden stick from a pile of rubble in the street. He swung the stick around, testing how it would make do as a weapon.

"Three... _Two..._ **_One!_** " the old lady clapped once, "That's it! It is over..."

The moment those words escaped from her mouth, Leorio lunged headfirst towards the woman, swinging the stick in his hands at full force. Kurapika jumped into the way to block the attack, using the blades he carried on his back to deflect the hit. Rayen quickly grabbed Leorio, holding back his arms before he could get another chance to swing his weapon.

"W-Why the hell are you guys trying to stop me!?" Leorio blared, struggling to get away from the redhead's grip of steel.

"Stop! Leorio! We won, and now you want to mess everything up!?" Kurapika growled.

"...Wait, what?" Leorio paused, all of his rage dissolving within seconds.

"We gave the right answer, which was silence! This quiz has no right answer, only to choose from either one or two. So... We don't answer! Silence is the correct solution."

Rayen let out a long sigh of relief. "Phew... I'm glad I went with my intuition on that, but... I should work more on having confidence in myself..." she admitted with a frown.

"...That's nice and all, Rayen, but could you let me go now!?" Leorio leaned his head back, yelling in the Rayen's ear. She sheepishly chuckled, dropping her grip on Leorio. "Ow, oww... Do you lift weights or something?" he muttered. "Alright, so why did the other guy go...?"

Kurapika shook his head. "He was told to go, but nobody said that he answered correctly. I heard him shouting a while ago... Unfortunately, I'm pretty confident that he was devoured by monsters. In fact, this road isn't a good one..."

"Exactly!" the old woman affirmed. She clapped her leathery hands twice, and two villagers wordlessly stepped up. They turned to a building just to the right of the crowd, sliding open a wooden screen door to reveal a new path. "This is the correct, and only path! After a two hour hike, you should reach the top."

On spur of moment, Rayen lightly elbowed Leorio in the ribs to get his attention. The moment he saw her gestured to the old woman, he nodded, taking the hint.

He gave an awkward cough. "Erm, sorry about all that granny..."

"Why?" the frail elder sincerely asked. "It's guys like you that made me want to take this job. Hang on and you'll become a good Hunter, yes!"

After what seemed like an eon of silence, Gon finally spoke, "Mm-nope! I really don't understand!"

Leorio, Kurapika, and Rayen deadpanned.

"Oh, you can stop wondering now! The quiz is over!" Leorio said with a lighthearted snicker.

"I know... But..." the expression on Gon's face hardened, "If someday, really, I could only save one person out of those who are close to me... What would I do?" The three exchanged disconcerting glances between each other.

"I don't say this to have an answer to the question, but a day might come where I might have to make a choice..."

For some reason, the morbid observation left Rayen worried. Something about it just made her feel really irked.

"...Ah, don't think too much about it, Gon. Besides, I'll always have your back, as well as Leorio and Kurapika's! If anything happens, I'll come and help you!" Rayen piped up, trying to brighten the mood, "...Now, come on. Let's get going! We should race to the top of the mountain!" she grinned.

"Your challenge has definitely been accepted, Rayen!" Kurapika played along as faint smirk surfaced across his face.

"Oi, wait a minute! Who's doing what now– _ACK!_ " Leorio was immediately cut off by Gon when the boy shot off, leaving behind a cloud of dirt in the other's faces.

" _See you!"_ Gon announced as he left the others, determined to win.

Leorio, Kurapika, and Rayen followed behind, hot on the boy's trail. The girl paced herself to match Gon's speed, neither too fast or too slow, blissfully enjoying the moment.

Honestly, Rayen didn't want to ever face the day where she would have to choose between those she cared about. She refused to believe something like that would ever happen, childish and selfish as she was.

 **》》》**

Before Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Rayen had exited the abandoned looking town, the elder had told them of a couple who lived at the end of the true path. The couple were also Navigators, so they would decide whether or not the examinees were eligible to continue forth.

After running an hour and thirty minutes and listening to Leorio complain about his feet hurting, the four reached their destination quicker than expected.

An ordinary house waited in their path, devoid of any other examinees. Had they been the only ones to get this far?

The moment they entered the house, chaos suddenly ensued. A large fox creature with a rat shaped face stood in the center of the house, holding an unconscious woman within its claws. Behind the odd creature was a man who had broken planks from the house weighing him down. He also appeared to be injured, with his clothing covered in blood.

 _"A monster!"_ Leorio gasped, alerting the other three beside him.

The monster rushed past the four with the woman in hand, booking it into the woods.

"We have to help!" Gon said, pursuing after the creature.

"Leorio and Rayen, take care of the injured!" Kurapika called as he swiftly followed after Gon.

"You can count on us!" Rayen and Leorio both assured, changing their focus onto the injured man.

Rayen then cleared the broken rubble over the man, who now lay half unconscious, allowing Leorio properly observe all injures. He opened the briefcase that he always held in his hand, revealing many types of medical equipment.

"...You're a doctor...?" Rayen quietly asked the other. Leorio looked at her for a moment, then shrugged.

'Kinda' was all Leorio said as he took out a sterilized cloth, starting his procedure of cleaning.

The redhead watched as Leorio had fully focused on his "patient". Occasionally the man would ask for his wife, and Leorio would assure him that she was safe.

Something about this whole situation with the rat-fox creature was puzzling. Weren't the navigators of the Hunter exam supposed to be more vigorous, and not dense enough as to get held hostage by passer-by monster? This creature in particular, the rat-fox, was swift on their feet and also had the ability to shift in the form of a human... Or at least, that's what Rayen could remember from the book she had read a while back.

"Leorio... Is that man, uh, actually hurt?" Rayen suddenly asked. If she wanted to confirm some of her suspicions, then now was the time to act.

Leorio froze in place. "N-No, actually... I haven't actually seen any wounds..." he started to back away.

Rayen held a hand, ordering him to stay put. She leaned over the man, and met with a powerful scent of wet fur and... chicken blood?

"Hey, are you awake yet?" she shook the dormant man hard, watching as his fox like eyes widened in bewilderment.

 _ **"Rayen!? What are you doing!?"**_ Leorio demanded, shouting in the redhead's ears.

Rayen only smiled, pointing down to the man. "Don't worry! It's just chicken blood!" she looked back down at the man and pursed her lips together. "Now... Who really _are_ you?"

The man sat up, grinning from ear to ear. "So, you've managed to figure out the truth! Before I explain any more..." he stood up, perfectly fine despite his appearance earlier, and stood by the door, "Follow me outside."

Leorio and Rayen followed after the man until they saw Gon and Kurapika conversing with two of the rat-fox creatures. The woman from earlier also stood within the mix, glancing over at the man.

"It's been a long time since we've met someone who could tell my wife and I apart!" the rat-fox with the lower pitched voice said. "It gives me great pleasure!"

"I don't see a difference... Do you guys?" Leorio whispered to Kurapika and Rayen.

"Not at all..." Kurapika lowly responded, staring at the two creatures.

Rayen cocked her head to the side. "A bit, but it's a _tiny_ detail. The wife's ears are slightly shorter, only about a third of a centimeter..."

Kurapika and Leorio gave Rayen a blank look.

"In fact, you were the one that hit Kurapika, mister!" Gon said to the husband.

"Ha! You are very good to us... Know, then, my wife and I are navigators," the rat-fox said, then gestured to the man and woman, who now revealed their long ears like the creatures. "...This is our son and daughter."

The daughter stepped up and bowed to Kurapika. "The wise Kurapika-san was not fooled and understood that we were not husband and wife!"

Rayen's eyes flashed at she spotted the tattoos over the daughter's arms. She excitedly grabbed the girl's arm, examining the markings. "This...! This is from the ancient Sumi clan! Those who wear it are a witness in a promise of marriage made to a god and no one else..."

The daughter of the rat-fox creatures nodded. Her brother then spoke up, "Rayen-sama, you caught on quickly. Your intuition and detective skills smelled me out, literally!" he said with a light chuckle. "Now, Leorio-san understood nothing until the end..."

Leorio laughed in slight embarrassment, muttering how he "didn't understand anything" under his breath.

"But..." the son of the rat-fox continued, "He knew how to give me first aid, maybe better than a doctor. Above all, when I ask for my 'wife', he stayed confident and spoke reassuringly!"

"As for Gon, he walked straight ahead, showing extraordinary movement and observation!" the male rat-fox applauded. With a stretch of his arms, the creature revealed his wings. "Alright! Let us take you to the testing sight!"

Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Rayen gave each other excited looks. The smallest boy then fist-bumped the others, although carefully for Rayen since she was still new to casual customs.

The four were soon gliding through the evening skies, holding onto the family of rat-fox creatures for dear life. Despite all that has happened so far, they were not yet at the starting line.

* * *

 **A/N: ありがとう！ thanks for reading! The next chapter will be more focused on Rayen...**


End file.
